So this chapter and the next one are told from Derek's point of view. I found it surprisingly hard to write as him (I eventually got into the swing of it) but towards the beginning it's a little choppy and weird. Sorry.

Stiles was shot. And those bastards shot him. Him. I am filled with such a feeling of rage I don't even know what happens next. I remember telling them all that he wasn't a wolf and them running with their tails between their legs, but that's about it.

I lean down to him. There's blood EVERYWHERE. He's fading in and out of conciousness. I know I've got to get him to a hospital right now. I don't care what I have to tell them.

I pick him up and I can tell he's shivering slightly. Must be the blood loss. I hold him closer. Maybe that will warm him up. I carefully lay him in the backseat then I get in the car and my hands are shaking so hard I can barely get the key in the ignition. The drive to the hospital whizzes by and I wait around long enough to make sure Stiles is okay. Scott's mom is telling me what room he's being taken to and asking me what happened but I can't even think. I still have so much adrenaline in my system and I can barely stand still.

I need to get out of here. It's too sterilized and bright. What just happened was the opposite. I run out of the hospital, get in my car, and again my hands are shaking too hard to do anything. So instead of leaving I sit in my car and calm myself down.

He took a bullet for me. He seriously just took a bullet for me. Literally. And now, he might be dead. Aren't I supposed to be protecting him? Breathe, Derek, breathe. I let my head roll back into the leather headrest of my seat as I breathe as deeply as possible. When I finally relax, I cross my arms over my steering wheel and put my head in them. I can't believe that just happened. That scrawny little kid saved my life. That scrawny little kid...that happens to be my boyfriend. That scrawny little kid...that I'm in love with.

I sigh especially loud now. Are these tears in my eyes? Oh god.

I see Stiles' dad. Shit, he's sprinting into the hospital. With Scott, Allison, and Lydia on his tail. I should go in soon. I wish there weren't so many people in that damned hospital. Then maybe I could hear what the doctors were telling them from out here.

I get out of my car and slowly make my way into the hospital, past the front desk, then up the elevator to Stiles' room. On my way down the hall I see Allison pulling a sobbing Lydia away from the room.

A doctor is entering the room just as I'm getting there so I just slip in behind him. You could cut the tension in that room with a knife. I can't look up. I know Stiles is right in front of me, but I can't look at him. I let my eyes wander up a little to the side of Stiles' bed. That doctor is right in front of me now so I really can't see him. Instead I see Scott. Scott's eyes meet mine and he quickly gets out of his chair and pulls me into the hallway.

"What the hell happened?" Scott stage whispers.

"There's a new group of hunters, Scott," I say seriously.

Scott looks around to see if anyone is in earshot, "What? Who?" He's stage whispering again.

Usually I can tolerate his idiotic melodramatic approach to things, but right now I'm just not in the mood.

"Scott. Stiles and I were in the woods. A group of hunters that I had NEVER seen before shot at me, and Stiles took the bullet."

"Why the hell would he do that?!" Scott exclaims.

I look away and breathe through my nose. I knew we'd eventually have to tell them. It's just a little difficult...

"Derek!" Scott says, snapping my attention back to him. "What were you and Stiles doing in the woods?"

"We were on a date! Okay?" I shout, finally giving in.

"Oh." Scott says faintly, clearly taken aback by my statement

"Now get back in there, I'm sure you want to say goodbye" I say softly.

Scott just nods. I can't really tell if he's shocked because he's mildly disgusted or if he's shocked because he didn't know or what, but he's still got a weird look on his face when he walks back in the room.

Stiles' dad exits into the hallway just as Scott leaves. He looks at me and smiles, "I hope you appreciated him."

I sink down and sit on the floor with my knees to my chest as he continues to walk down the hall. Stiles' dad knew this whole time, didn't he?

I just sit there, kind of stupefied, and wait for Scott to finish with Stiles.

Scott finally comes out and he stops in front of me. "He's all yours!" he says, putting a hand out to help me up.

"Thanks," I reply.

Walking into his room this time is completely different. This time I'm ready.

I see him there, his bed tilted so he's in a sitting position, and he looks so damn peaceful. His chest is bare except for a wad of bled-through gauze taped to the right side of his chest. His head has turned to the left side and his mouth is open ever so slightly.

I sit down in a creaky wooden chair next to Stiles. I hear the door slide open behind me.

"Scott told me about you two," Scott's mom says, standing behind me. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like." She reaches out to touch my shoulder but begins to think that that might not be a good idea half way through, so her fingers just graze me.

I can tell she's unsure of what to do, but I'm in the same position. All the previous adrenaline I had has left my body and I'm feeling empty and exhausted. Finally she decided to just leave and I feel like I should really say something.

"Mrs. McCall," I call to her as she's in the doorway. I turn around in my chair to face her. "Thank you,"

She nods and leaves me alone with my thoughts and the body of my boyfriend.

I pull the collar of my leather jacket up further on my neck, trying to hide myself in it. I wish I was anyone else right now. I wish I didn't love this kid as much as I do, but I'm in deep now and there's no going back.

The heart monitor attached to Stiles' finger beeps out his faint little heartbeat but I can already hear it pounding out it's same old tune in my head. I've never heard a heartbeat sound so tired. Suddenly I realize that Stiles is dying. In fact, he'll be dead quite soon. And that's when the tears come. They start slow but soon I'm falling over Stiles' lap and sobbing uncontrollably. At first I'm almost embarrased to be sobbing so hard over someone, but then I let go. I let go of all the lonely years after the fire. I let go of being a shut-in after high school. I just focus on him. Another thing in my life that dies after a while. But the first thing in my life to actually make me generally happy.

After a little while I stop sobbing and simply lay in his lap, staring at his barely moving chest. The blood from the wound had gotten everywhere, and there were still traces of it on his chest. So I spent the next while tracing the lines of dried blood. Gross, in retrospect, but I wasn't thinking about that at the time. Without thinking, my hand that wasn't preoccupied with tracing blood stains landed on top of Stiles'.

I'm beginning to fall asleep. I try so desperately to keep myself awake but it occurs to me that I don't know what I'm staying up for. Am I waiting for him to die? What the hell am I doing?

Then I hear a cough and see Stiles' chest move and I'm up, practically standing at the sight of Stiles' eyes opening.

"Stiles!" I think I might be asleep. This may very well be a dream.

I reach for the nurse's alarm despite my doubt that this is reality but Stiles' reaches out and blocks me. I can see him wince even though he's trying to cover it.

He looks so...weak. I can't stand to see him like this.

"May I?" I ask, moving to touch his chest.

He nods and I put my hand on his heart. Dark fluid pours through my veins and Stiles' sighs slightly. "Better?" He nods again.

"You know," he begins, sitting up a little, "When you said I needed you to survive I doubt you thought you needed me,"

I don't even know what to say. I want to tell him that I only told him that because I wanted him to stay in my life. But I'm too busy studying his face, taking it all in one last time.

"Who knew I'd end up saving your life several times," he continues.

"I didn't think you'd end up paying with yours though," I say, my eyes wandering to the bloody gauze on his chest.

"It was bound to happen one of these days," he says, shrugging his shoulders ever so slightly.

I can't help but chuckle. "I never understood how you can be so calm during situations like these that you can come up with witty jokes and sarcastic comments,"

"I'm the comic relief." he says simply. "You'd all die of seriousness without me."

We both smile little smiles but they fade quickly. We both realize that our pack will be without him very soon.

"Stiles..." I start. I can feel tears welling up again. I can't help it.

He reaches out and grabs my hand and I let him pull me closer. "C'mere," he whispers.

I just want to be close to him. I just want to see his smile. I just want to be the one lying in this hospital bed instead of him. Why did he have to go and jump in front of that bullet? Why couldn't he have let me die? I just...I just want to die. Why couldn't have been me and not him?

I let myself sob a little into his bare chest. He's so incredibly calm, but in a tired sort of way.

"Now you're supposed to be comforting me, I'm only about to die, jeez," he says as I begin to feel I've cried myself out.

I smile and sit back in my chair. "You've never needed comforting Stiles."

He smiles that cute little half smile he gets when he's proud of himself. But I can see that his golden eyes are fading.

All the sudden, Stiles is wincing but I can tell he's screaming on the inside. He's about to die. Oh my god...he's gonna die right now. I-I'm not ready.

"Stiles," I squeeze his hand.

"I can feel myself dying, Derek. It's such a scary feeling," he practically whispers, his voice is so soft.

Then, his eyes lull closed and the heart monitor behind me rings out with a loud and final beep.